A Harvest Moon Sory-The Unlikely Romance
by Sakuyamon
Summary: This Story is inspired by the harvest moon series, mainly harvest moon 3! Please Review it!
1. Default Chapter

Reference-  
  
This story was a originally started when I posted a story for people to add on, this is how much we've got so far. If you want to add on go to http://www.gamehelp.com/talk/gb/harvest_moon_3/page01.htm PLEASE AT LEAST REVIEW THIS STORY! It means a lot to me!  
  
  
  
~A Harvest Moon Story-A unlikely Romance~  
  
Sara gazed up into the mass of blue sky, the soft breeze moving through the grass in a rhythmic way, out in the lonely ranch dubbed "Green Pastures".  
  
Shaking her head as she concentrated on her work, and started sprinkling turnip seeds over the small plot that needed care. After a while she was exhausted, the mosquitoes were nipping her, the sun was schoring, and she was just plain tired.  
  
Jack passes by unwrapping his handkerchief around his neck with one hand while carrying a hammer in his other hand. He walks toward Sara, gives her the handkerchief, and looks into the afternoon sky. He thinks of Flower Bud Village and his friends there, but somehow, today he feels he doesn't miss them as much...  
  
Jack's sudden ache for his dear beloved flower bud village had been blown away and replaced with Sara's cheerful face. But... Just then Sara screamed,"Jack! Come Here." Jack threw is hammer down in fear and dashed franticly to Sara. His heart jumping with horror, he managed to croak out,"Sara, What's Wrong." But to his surprise, Sara smiled one of those "Guess Who" smiles. "Wuhh, i said in utter confusion. She points down to the small plot she was digging in perpearation for planting. Jack peered into the earthen dirt and gasped in there was a treasure chest with initials J & F engraved in the wood..........  
  
Jack's pet pig that was standing beside him formerly unnoticed also gasped in shock (but it was more of an "oink" to the untrained ear). Right beside the chest was a small human-like figure that looked like a shrunken miner holding a worn-out map. Jack squints in the near dark as the sun sets to find he was just seeing things. Jack sighs in relief and looks at Sara.  
  
Sara laughed at him, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Looking embarrassed, she ran back home, her pet cat following her. Jack at first looked bewildered, but then he smiled and picked his prize watermelon.  
  
Sara sighed. Why had she been so stupid? Jack probably wouldn't do any good work now. "Oh, autumn, why am I so idiotic?" she questioned her pet cat, who replied, "Meow mew mew" (which meant "shut up and feed me"). Sara sighed again, when she heard Jack opening the door. Quick as lightning, she flew to her bed and pretended to sleep. Jack walked up to her, stroked back her messy hair and laid the watermelon on the bed. Sara's heart was thudding; maybe her really did like her! He had been saving that watermelon for the morning market, and had only gone near it to make sure it got the best care...and he was giving it to her!  
  
Jack steps out of the house into the cold night air and thinks of going for an evening dip in the hot spa, which mysteriously got finished after he dug through it yesterday. He clears off the dirt on his trousers and gloves and looks up to a bright moon above him. As he heads to the spa, he wonders why Sara went to bed so early. "Could she be sick?" he thought. He runs back toward the house but suddenly finds Sara waiting for him at the porch underneath the glow of the bright night moon... She smiled, but as Jack opened his mouth to speak she hushed him by putting her finger on her lips and pointing to the storage shed. The little man Jack had thought he had seen earlier was creeping about quietly, holding a wild berry he had stolen. He dropped a chest he was carrying, and scampered off.  
  
Jack walked slowly up to it, all his concerns about Sara gone. She followed, and together they opened the chest. Inside was a single note:  
  
Remember the gift of love.  
  
Below was a picture of a sheep. Jack frowned, but Sara just shrugged and left. Curious, Jack followed, and stayed hidden until Sara reached the cliff. She sighed, and took out a picture from her pocket. Unable to see what it was of, Jack left and went back to his bed. Before falling asleep, he looked at one of his photos from Flower Bud Village. It had a young girl in, named Eve, who was attractive and friendly. Surprisingly, he didn't miss her with an aching pang as he had before...instead thoughts of Sara's beautiful red hair and Blue dress drifted into his thoughts, and filled his sleep.  
  
Sara came home, happily glancing at her photo of Jack. She had taken it when he was digging the hot spring, and he was smiling at her...a smile which filled Sara with so much emotion she was overwhelmed. Little did she know the bad news that would happen on the following day…"Cock-A-Doodle- Do", the rooster sung as the sun appeared upon the sky at dawn. Sara stirred and her eyes blinked in the sun's rays beating upon her lovely face. She shook her head in the warmth and got out of her bed and made it(she just can't stand a messy bed). Then gazing over to Jack's cavernous bed, she saw that he was already gone and up. "That jack" she thought fondly in her mind and shook her head in a way that quite plainly said her dislike of a messy bed. She then got dressed, with her trousers neat and plain, a white shirt tied in a not at one end and a handkerchief that was her mother's. .............................................  
  
Meanwhile Jack had got up at the crack of dawn and something had................... to run to the village. He had seen his father's boat, and knew that was bad news. When he reached the harbor, his Dad walked up to him. "Son, I'm sure you'll be happy to hear this. You can come back!" Jack was shocked. Finally the jumbled feelings in his mind sorted themselves out, and he knew he loved Sara. But he couldn't disappoint his dad...  
  
Meanwhile, Sara was getting worried. Jack wasn't anywhere on the farm. She also ran to the village, and saw Jack sitting sadly on a departing boat, labeled "Flower Bud Village Transport". All she could do was collapse and cry. Sara's eyes blurred with tears and she half sobbing dashed to jack's side. "Don't Go Jack! Please don't", she whispered to jack.  
  
Jack looked in shock; he just did not know what to do. He loved Sara with all his heart and soul and would rather die than leave but on the other hand he did not want to disappoint his dad who I had always admired when he was little. Screwing his face he stumbled over to his dad (it was very difficult since Sara was clutching his arm in death grip). "My Dearest Dad, This is a hard decision, Please Understand My Feelings, Give Me Till dusk today" he said to his dad. His dad's face pulled up in a grin that was all to known, and replied "Okay, Son at dusk meet me at the docks and tell me your choice." Jack did a curt bow to his dad and griped Sara's hand and they headed of to the farm, their hearts heavy. What was............................................the final decision going to be? Instead of reaching the now familiar farmhouse and sheds, Sara led Jack to cliff. There they sat in silence, watching the sun slowly rise and set.  
  
"Jack..." "Sara..." they both said simultaneously. Sara gave a weak smile, and embraced Jack. He kissed her passionately back. "Oh, Sara, we can't do this. We can't get too close." Jack sighed, his eyes going watery and red from the beating wind.  
  
"I understand. Leave, Jack. I'll continue with the farm. I'll male you proud." Sara choked, and with one last kiss, left Jack, perhaps forever. Jack was left..................................... Confused and alone, Jack could not even think of moving from where he was. As if frozen to the ground, try as he may, his legs would not move. A familiar feeling came to his heart. He remembered hearing the news from his grandpa's friends when his grandpa passed away. He remembered being very sad and he wished with all his power that he could do something to stop what was happening. He remembered making a promise to revive his grandpa's farm, not only to rekindle a memory, but also to have his grandpa's life never end in the land that he loved dearly. He bowed his head and silent tears fell upon his cheeks. He remembered how he made the same promise to Sara. How much he understood what Sara's dream meant to her, and how much she meant to him. Jack realized at that moment how Sara is more than a dream inherited from her father. "It's not the dream I stayed for!", he said. I revived my grandpa's farm because I wanted to still be close to him. I stayed because I want to be with Sara forever...  
  
Jack's legs started to move on their own. Running faster than he ever did in his life, he accidentally stumbles down the hill and lands on a crying Sara.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "Please, I love you, Sara. You mean more to me than anyone in the world", he continued. "Please Sara, say something..."  
  
  
  
  
  
"No, Jack. Your Dad loves you. I know that you must go."  
  
"Never! Sara, I can't leave you." Sara frowned then smiled.  
  
"You can, Jack. Look." she pointed to her tummy. While Jack looked, she gave him a push and shoved him off the cliff.  
  
Jack's pig ran with his horse and they brought enough hay to cushion his fall. "Sara's weird!!" Jack thought. "But it doesn't matter now. I already told her how I felt and she did say she loves me.... she just has a weird way of showing it," Jack told his animals. He rode his horse up the cliff with his pet pig running close behind them. Sara was suddenly taken by Jack's persistence, which she didn't expect 'cause she really thought Jack cared more about his father than her. She was driven to tears about what she just did, so much that she fainted...  
  
When she woke up, she was at the house, and Jack was coming in with a watermelon. It was the one he was saving for the morning market the next day. Jack went up to her and said, "This is for you." Sara smiled and said, " I had the weirdest dream... I want to ask you something," she said. "Did you want to talk at the cliff?" Jack replied. "NO! I mean no, please. Listen to me right now. I want... I want to stay with you forever. Do you feel the same way about me?" Sara said. Jack stared into her eyes, went on his knee and said "Sara, I didn't know.... But now that I do, it would make me even happier, if you were my wife!"  
  
They got married that Sunday in elder's house and lived happily ever after since.  
  
~THE END!~  
  
Or is it....  
  
A few weeks later, Jack stretched and yawned. "Okay, Honey?" enquired Sara. She had this funny smile dancing on her lips. Jack guessed at once. "You- you're...pregnant?"  
  
Sara hugged Jack, and he went about looking after the crops and animals best he could. After that he ventured to the village and hopped on his boat. Once at the mainland he ran to the mall and searched all over for a baby bed...but could find one anywhere. "Aargh!" he shouted, attracting a lot of funny looks. Lyla walked up to him. "Uh...me and Billy...we used to be married. (I interrupt to say that as Lyla liked Billy and wanted to knit him a sweater, she later got married but then had a divorce for no particular reason). I've still got a baby bed somewhere, and I don't need it. Is that what you want?" Jack nodded happily, and followed Lyla home. "So...you and Sara are having a kid?" "Yeah." "Hope it doesn't ruin your farm or anything." Jack frowned, and kept quiet. "Well, here we are. It ought to be up in my attic. Lyla climbed up a ladder, while Jack looked round her room. It had a few meager possessions; a photo of her wedding, a photo of her pregnant...and a note from a diary, about how her baby had died. Jack suddenly had an eruption of feelings...just like the ones he had had for Sara a few hours ago, but stronger. I really need to get this sorted, he thought. Looking in the photo of her wedding, he knew where his feelings lay. Lyla was his.  
  
The next day  
  
Jack got on the boat again and sailed to the mainland. Lyla was there, with the baby bed, all ready to put on the boat. As she helped him lift it ("Oh, how strong she is, yet so pretty!" thought Jack) their hands slipped down the mattress, then across the pillow, then...they settled on top of each other. Lyla didn't move her hand. Neither did Jack. Lyla stared into Jacks eyes...  
  
Raspy-berry-y.... and Jack stared straight back. They both grinned foolishly, and heaved the bed onto the boat. "Thanks, Lyla. Here, have this as a reward." Jack handed her his necklace...the moonstone one, the one he was saving for his wife. "Oh! It's beautiful! You can't give me this, it looks like a family heirloom!" "Oh, don't worry. It isn't that great, honestly. Keep it." "Thanks, Jack!" Lyla smiled at him, they waved goodbye and Lyla ran quickly back to the shop. Jack sighed happily. He guided the boat back to the island, and got Billy to help take it back. "Hey!" "What?" "This...this bed looks like...it looks like the one me and Lyla had..." "Uh.Um..." "Is it? Look, it even has the little burn mark where Lyla dropped a candle..." "Actually, err, it is. She gave it to me. Lyla." "Oh..." Billy didn't say a word on the way back. Jack cursed to himself on the way back. Billy abruptly dropped the bed when they reached the farm entrance and walked sullenly back to the village. Jack lugged the heavy bed into the house. "Jack!" Sara ran up and kissed him, and then clutched her stomach. "Ow!" "What? Sara, are you okay?" Jack wasn't at all worried, somehow. "Nothing. I'll be okay." Sara smiled weakly, and lay down in the bed (her bed, not the baby's one) and fell asleep. "You could have helped me!" Jack mumbled, and dragged the bed up to her bedside table. "Maybe I can trap her inside..."  
  
The next morning, there wasn't any need for that. Sara just slept on, and Jack wasn't quite stupid enough to disturb her. He zoomed off to the mainland across the stormy waters (it was a heavy rain) to visit Lyla. All the shops were closed, but he knew the way to her house. It was down a beautiful winding lane, with hazel branches and cherry blossoms. Even in the rain it gave off a sweet scent, and he stopped to pick some flowers. He hurried on to Lyla's small cottage that fitted in with the scenery perfectly. He peered through the window. Lyla was sitting down, knitting on an old, antique piano stool next to an (not surprisingly) old, antique grand piano. It was a lovely scene, with a wooden staircase spiraling upwards and a fire blazing merrily in the grate. He walked up to the door, and lifted the heavy brass knocker. He let it go, and it hit a small button. A doorbell rang, and Lyla came to the door and looked through the peephole. "Oh, it's you, Jack." She opened the door, and invited him to warm himself by the fire. "So, what is it?" "Just came for a chat." and so they stayed chatting for a while on the sofa. Occasionally Jack would play a song on the piano, and Lyla would dance along. After the last time, Jack looked Lyla in the eye. "Lyla...I've got to be honest. I love you." Lyla stood there. Instead of looking shocked, she grinned wickedly. "I love you too, Jack." she whispered, and kissed him passionately. And now, lets just say we don't want to go into details.  
  
Back in jack's house, Sara's is sleeping soundly while Lyla and Jack are having this discussion. Okay, Promise to cross your heart and hope to die! Lyla repeats jack's vow and dashes out the door when Sara starts sturing in her bed. Jack's mind whirled in mixed emotions. He loved lyla dearly but Sara.........how could he tell her his thoughts without breaking her sincere heart? He sat down by the fire's burning coals when...Sara woke up! She looked up into the sun's rays beating upon her waking face and she stood up in her bed (slowly cause she was pregnant) and saw jack looking very disturbed warming by their fireplace with flames cackling merrily. She hurriedly got dressed in her own dressing room jack had made for her birthday and walked over to jack who still was sitting. She said to jack in a worried tone, "What's Wrong" Lost for words jack stared dubiously into Sara's widing eyes, he was lost for words. How could he tell her ..........................  
  
... ... ...The terrible truth? He gulped, swallowed and opened his mouth. "Uh...Sara...I..." "Mmm, what is it, Jack?" she had that sweet look on her face, a look that was as close to honey as possible. "I..." at that moment there was a knock on the door. It opened very slowly...and Billy stood there. "Sara!" he ran up to her, arms outstretched, when he saw Jack's furious eyes. "Uh..." "WHAT THE H*LL ARE YOU DOING???????" Jack screamed. Sara sat there, crying. "Well, I, uh..." he stood looking sheepish. Then Sara wiped away her tears and stood up. "Jack, you should know. You've been seeing Lyla, Billy told me!" "Sara...Jack...get back together. I was lying, Sara. I just wanted to be with you, after...after me and Lyla..." "Oh, thanks a lot, Billy. Now I'm carrying your child!" Sara steamed. What a weird day! Was all Jack could think for a while, until slow realization dawned on him. "YOU WHAT???????????????" he lunged for Billy, and wrestled with him (dramatic fist-fight music) until Billy lay panting by the phone. "Jack...." Sara started. Jack glared at her, and stalked out. Before he left, he shouted,  
  
  
  
Okay, Promise to  
  
  
  
To be continued………..  
  
Credit: Sakuyamon (me) and all the ppl who wrote the parts in these stories, farming gal, and a countless others I will write in here later! Lets give them a applause! Claps 


	2. A Harvest Moon Storie- The Unlikely Roma...

Jack sprinted to his boat, fuming with anger. How COULD she?! he raged inside his head. Then one of those little imaginary angelly thingys appeared beside Jacks head, in the form of...LYLA? "Jack.... look on the bright side... you finally left her... now I am yours..." "I-I-I..." But Lyla was gone. Jack had to see her, tell her what happened. He hopped on his boat, trying to think how to break it to her... He was so wrapped up in all this, he hadnt noticed that he had been heading straight for... .....a cave! He had never seen it before. What was it? A wave shear terror and panic gripped Jack. His boat had stopped at the cave. He cautiously stepped out and looked around.  
  
There were some roughly cut steps leading up to a rock pool. Jack carefully climbed them. He tippie-toed up to the pool, and peered in. "HEY!" Jack nearly had a heart attack. He looked up, trembling. A beautiful girl with flowing brown hair and a buttercup yellow silk dress was squinting at him. She looked pretty harmless, but there was something about her that...... ...made Jack scream out of his skin. Could it be the little weird troll thingy attached to one of the ribbons of her buttercup yellow silk dress?! the guy looked like a freak and while Jack was still caught up with the moment, the troll drops off the dangling ribbon, steps on Jack's foot with a crunch and gives Jack a strange smelling berry. The little man told Jack "don't tell anyone you saw me here. eat the berry and shut up, okay?"  
  
Jack ate the berry with a gulp and.... .....promptly fainted, poisinous toxins from the berry seeping over his already tired and scrambled body. Lyla"Aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!" Phew, thought Jack. It was just a dream. Yes? No! He was lying on the floor of the cave, with the beautiful girl staring down at her. "Are you Ok?" she asked nervously, "You fainted." Jack was baffled. "Tell me..." he said, clutching at her silk dress...... "tell me who you are..." "I am Marla the mermaid. Now listen to me, Jack. Sara is the one you love. Trust me. Lyra will only do wicked things." and with that the mermaid swam away. Jack sat on the cold floor, pondering her words. Finally, he came to a decision and walked determinedly out of the cave. Later he arrived on the farm, dreaming of the day he had first met Sara. He had walked to the town hall, and his first impression was that they were perfect for each other. Their outfits matched perfectly, her birthday was the very next day (1st of Spring), and she had a beautiful smile. As he opened the door, weeping drifted out to him.  
  
Sara was curld up on her bed, and Billy was approaching. "Sara..." he said, patting her on the back, but she just slapped his hand away. "How dare you, Billy! You've ruined my life!" furious, Billy stormed out of the door. Jack walked up to Sara. "Love...I must tell you the truth. I was seeing Lyra." Sara looked up, her face streaming with tears. Jack couldn't look into her eyes. "Look at me, Jack. In the eyes." he forced his gaze to her, thinking of all the happy memories they shared. Then he looked right at her...and she was smiling, so joyously happy and wonderful that he couldn't believe it. "But...I...Lyla and me...."  
  
"Jack. Don't worry. I love you. Even if the baby is Billy's, we will look after it. And I know something, Jack." "W-what?" "We never went that far, me and Billy. But remember that night, Jack?" "Which one?" "You know the one." Sara grinned wickedly at him. Jack blushed bright red, then climbed into his own bed. "Goodnight, Sara." but her peacful snores already filled the room. The next day, it was 6am and Jack was already panicking. Sara was lying in bed, groaning and everyone they knew was there, including the people from the mainland. "Stand back!" shouted a midwife, and she pushed up next to Jack. Just a few minutes later, they had a small baby girl. "Sara, can I name her? She is my child, after all."  
  
Billy asked. "NO! She isn't 'your' child at all. I'M naming her. She is...hmm...I know! She will be called.................................... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO jack screamed, "this is my baby, no matter what, you do not deserve to be father, rude and inconsiderate! *billys face turned bright red and takes on the appearance of a inflated bull ready to strike* uh oh ........thought jack. Finally what all the people nearby was dreading happened, billy exploed with fury"NO SHES MINE!!!!" Jack Started To Protest but was interupted by sara" guys........! both guys, billy and jack were face to face* rrrrrrrrrrrrr. Then the voice of reason dawned on sara, so she spoke her mind" i got an idea that is fair, lets have the baby take a dna test to see who is the real father!" Billy and Jack looked each other to see if this reasonable, both looked back at sara and nodded in agreemant. Sara's lines of worry disappeared from her fair face at the agreement. But then a bigger problem loomed in her mind. What if billy is the real father???? Ever since her dark brown eyes set upon this guy she had fallen in to the deep depths of love.  
  
But but.........if billy is the father what then????????? Her face pulled up in concern she cradeled the little infant girl, singing a lullaby Hush my Dear one Sleeeeeep in Peaceful Slumber Rest in Peace Let no Troubles come across your mind Sleep My Baby My Dear One! she continued singing the lullaby and then sighed. what to do , what to do. This thought did not leaver her troubled mind till the sandman sprinkled the magic dust upon her eyelids, in sleep..................... jack* runs into the hospital with billy running beside, a doctor led them to a testing room......................... now then, said the doctor you just sit here mr jack, you can go first. the doctor brought out a dagger and, quick as a flash, he stabbed jack in the head. the doctor pulled of his head which was a plastic dummy and billy was standing there. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! he cackled. that was the last thing jack remembered.  
  
He who sticks berries up .....then the plastic dummy head stopped spinning on the floor and began to speak, "I remember everything clearly. I am not the real Jack. I was made one dark night by a sprite who wanted so much to be with Sara, but she was just...too tall for him. But my sprite master soon died trying to milk a wild bull and got stampeded on. I have made my master's lab into a world similar to Jack's but it can never be perfect. You see my head on the ground and know exactly what I mean. Sara can never love me, or the cruel Billy I made, or anyone else...but the real Jack. This world is too cruel and imperfect. Leave me now in peace. Return to the real world with Jack and his wife in their home slicing watermelon in the kitchen and holding their newborn son....." With this, the head's eyes stop glowing and the story ends. Hey! Excuse me! Why does the story end? Why can't it last forever? 0_o Ahem... "  
  
Woa," Jack sat up in bed after a terrible night. "What wierd dreams I keep having!" "Jack?" It was Sara, beautiful Sara, smiling at him. Jack blinked. It was not Sara, but Marla. He blinked again. Now the person was Lyla. Yep, it was Lyla. "Erm, Lyla...why am I here?" Asked Jack. "I thought Billy was that head and he stabbed me and Sara had a girl but it was a boy and I needed a really strange test to..." "Wait!" Said Lyla, "I am not Lyla. I am your fairy godmother ( ^_^ ) and I have come to help you with your lovelife. Move far, far away from here, into the world of Harvest moon 64, where there are 5 beautiful girls. Personally, I'd say that you should take the personality quiz..."  
  
Jack took a piece of paper from beside his bed. 1. What kind of girl do you like? A. Fun-loving. B. Caring. C. Shy... Jack chucked the paper aside, and agreed to go and live in Harvest Moon 64. As he reached his new farm, Sara kissed him goodbye and ran away to get on with her life. Jack looked around. The farm was old and filled with junk. He got to work on clearing it straight away. When he was done, a girl with black hair and glasses walked up to him. "Hi. Are you Jack?" she asked, blushing. Jack nodded. "I'm Maria. I hope you like it here." she left, and three more girls came. One had ginger hair and horse hair all over her front, one had candyfloss-pink hair with a flower in her hair and the last looked remarkably like... "Eve!" Jack called. The girl laughed. "No, silly, I'm Karen. This is Popuri," she gestured to the pink haired girl, who smiled and waved. "And this is Ann." this time she pointed to the red head, who grinned at him. Jack smiled back, but was secretly thinking about Eve, his old girlfriend. When he looked up, the girls had left. He tossed away his photo of Eve, and buried it, as if to give her memory on last respect. When he was done a voice called out to him. "Hello? Anyone here?" he walked up to his mailbox and saw a short-haired brunette standing there. She handed him a piece of cake, then explained she had to get back to her bakery. "Oh, by the way, my name's Elli. If you want to come and visit me and my Grandma you'll be welcome."  
  
Jack smiled and went indoors as the sun set and dark night descended. Before he fell asleep he pinched himself hard to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The short stabbing pain in his arm told him he wasn't.Jack woke up in the early hours of the morning to hear a peculiar sound coming from outside. He dressed faster than 'Superman' (blee, what a name[!] and flashed out the door. All that for nothing. It was only a vagrant. He was talking to someone. But there was no-one in sight. "Yes, thankyou, I will, right away..." The vagrant didn't see Jack. Jack went up behind the man and tapped him. He screeched with fright, his eyes mad and rolling, his arms flailing in pure terror and ran for his life. Jack stood there looking gawmless. What had he done? Oh well, it was nothing to worry about.  
  
Jack decided to explore and wandered up a small path to the right of his farm. There he found a fisherman. "Aah, 'you like fishin' son? 'Ere be a rod, so you can fish wen ye' like. 'Ave fun!" And he walked away. Jack looked at the fishing rod. It wouldn't hurt to have just a little go... Jack caught a huge fish right away, then an even bigger one. Man, he was on a role. He soon had to stop, though. It was geting dark, but he still needed some things. He quickly gathered up a bunch of grapes, (for Karen, he thought) a cute sqirrel which squirmed and wriggled, (Ann, definatley) a daisy, (wouldn't Popuri love it?) and as he sprinted off to the town square he snatched up a little Ladybird. (Yep, obviously a Maria thang)The next morning he woke up to the sound of a beautiful sunny day. A voice was calling him from outside. "Jack! Hey, Jack! Get out here!" he recognised it as Karen's, and groaned. "Coming!" he shouted, and dragged himself out of bed.  
  
Karen was leaning impatiently on his doghouse. "Where were you? I was meant to tell you about the flower festival. It takes place tomorrow, and if you hurry you can still vote for the Goddess." she smiled dazzlingly, clearing hoping to bias him towards her. She waved bye and left the farm. Jack ran up to the farm square and looked at the ballot box. He wasn't sure who to vote for, but in the end he chose Ann because she looked like a nice girl...or had done the night before. As he walked back down the steps a man in a postman's uniform with a big nose walked up. "Hello. I'm Harris the postman. Who're you?" "Jack." "Oh, right. Who did you vote for?" "Ann. I'm new here, so I didn't really know anyone." "Oh, right. I'm voting for Maria. Have you seen her yet?" "Yes, she visited me last night." Jack walked on, and as he hopped of the last steps he saw someone who gave him such a surprise he almost had a heart attack.  
  
"It's you!.........................Grandma???? No, it can't be...it IS! How Jack had missed her. He had no idea she was in this story. He ran into her arms and nearly started crying. He was so happy to see her! Grandma explained that she had another grand-daughter on the other side of the family, called Elli. "Yes, I remember meeting her." said Jack. So they were relatives? Elli did seem nice. And she didn't hassle him like that Karen. Jack didn't really think much of her, but he was sure they'd be good friends. Maria was Ok, but a little shy and stuttery. Maybe my new friend Harris would suit her? And Popuri...well, he hadn't considered her. She WAS pretty. Jack had never told anyone this, but he shared a secret passion for flowers. Perhaps Popuri was good, after all. Jack nestled into Grandma and she hugged him back. As he dozed off, he had no idea of the terror that would befall him and Elli [mostly] on that fateful next day...The next day he got up and set to work restoring the farm. Meanwhile.... Sara lay in bed for a few hours. Her child was sleeping in Lyla's old cot. It was peaceful, but she was so lonely...no one ever came to see her, the farm was gradually falling into ruins...and from a letter Jack had sent her by Swallow Airmail ('The quickest service in the sky!') he seemed to be settling in well. He was also getting on with the girls very well... Jack barely had time to think about Sara as he hurried to the cliff.  
  
He had heard a scream, and it sounded urgent (of course it was, duh). When he reached the grasslands (others called them the mountain, but Jack didn't care) he found Popuri hanging on by her fingertips to a cliff above a cave. She was screeching "HELP!" at the top of her voice, and Jack climbed up a tree to recue her. She thanked him, and climbed back down the tree. Then Jack realised - he was stuck. On her not-so-graceful descent, Popuri had snapped of some vital branches for getting down, and it was too high to jump. A scuffling sound behind him made him jump. Elli was sitting there, trying to pull herself up from the ground. "Help, Jack...I...I think I've sprained my ankle..." After hauling her up, Jack sat her on a rock and looked around for a way out. A small dirt path led up the mountain, but a huge tree had falen across it, preventing anyone getting up. It was a hopeless situation. A while later, Jack had chopped a few small pieces of wood from the tree (to no avail) and had managed to start a fire. Elli was pale and shaking, though not mentioning the pain in her leg. She managed to find some fish in her apron pocket, and they just about cooked them properly. Jack took off his jacket and handed it to Elli so she could stay warm. The stars twinkled happily in the sky, but Jack was almsot scared at the thought that if they couldn't get down, no one could get up.......  
  
Jack looked miserably at there tomb and wisphered to himself "what a fix we've got into." He starts thinking hard, expecting for him left to the buzzards..........about his love life....why did it always go wrong? He was about to answer his own question (haha) when the place where they were sitting broke off and they went carining down the cliff. Elli: jaaaaaaaaaac...k *they were caught by one of the branches of the tree in worse shape then before, they couldn't move* Elli fainted with shock from her leg and the fall.  
  
Elli's eyelids where opening slowly.......Elli Elli ELLI! What now, MOM i wanna sleep in please! The voice kept persisting "ELII" okay okay. Elli opened her eyes and saw jack by her calling her name with a worried look upon his face. She groaned and renembered what had happened. There was no freaking way they could get down, she knew fate would open its jaws to death.........But what about jack? She hadent told him how she really felt about him ..................The moon glimmered telling it was sometime during the night..........Soaking in the surroundings that would be the death of her.........bellow was a pond. Hmmm Thats weird elli thought, could that be the legendary godess pound that is told in stories? .................... "Jack! Do you have a vegetable?" Jack nodded, his vocal chourds paralyzed with fear (though he still wondered why she wanted a vegetable).  
  
Elli grabbed the old tomato off him and chucked it down, praying it would land in the pomd. she heard a splash and saw ripples floating across the surface. A green-haired Goddess arose, not a single drip on her. "An offering? It's been a while! Do you want me to help you down?" Elli was practically screaming. Wasn't it obvious? "YES!!!" she shouted. The Goddess laughed and drifteds through the air to them. She cast a sort-of spell on them, and for a while they were airborne; gravity not affecting them. It was a wonderful, strange feeling, and somehow it cured Elli's leg. As the hit the ground with a gentle bump she was even smiling......Saftley on ground jack blew out his relief as he gazed into elli's brown eyes. The Harvest Godess Chimmed in, "may your seasons be kind to you and good fortune to all." She Sinked into the pond with a little soft ripple. Jack asked elli in awe" how did you know that would happen if you threw in a vegtable." Elli Just Blushed, don't you know your history and legends silly? It is a legend if you throw in a farm grown vegtable into the legendary godess pond your wish will be granted. I never belived that old story till now. *thinks thougtfully* well we better get going elli said in a tiresome voice.  
  
..............Next Morning.....................  
  
Jack Had fell asleep in the mountains when elli left unable to walk home. His droopy eyelids opened slowly to the sweet sound of a girl's voice singing  
  
You will find me at FlowerBud Village on the side of a hill  
  
When the summer is peaceful and high,  
  
where streamlets meander the valley still,  
  
'Neath the blue of a calm cloudless sky...  
  
Look for me at dawn when the earth is asleep.  
  
Till each dewdrop is kissed by the day,  
  
'Neath the rowan and alder a vigil I'll keep,  
  
Every moment that you are away...  
  
The earth gently turns as the seasons change slowly.  
  
All the flowers and leaves born to wane.  
  
Hear my song o'er the lea, like the wind soft and lowly.  
  
And come back to FlowerBud Village again.  
  
It was Karen singing as she picked the ripe berries into a small whicket basket. How pretty her voice was in the mountain's air. He could listen to it forever he thought as he slowly got up being careful not to be seen by the lovely maid karen. his breath sighed into the cold morning air as he sat on a mossy rock, whatching karen with a dreamlike expression.  
  
As he was gazing, she turned around and shouted sharply, "What are you staring at?" Jack fell off his rock, he was so suprised at her sudden change of tone. He decided to be brave. "I was listening to your singing. It was really good." Karen grinned. "I'll dance for you, aswell." She began slowly swaying from side to side, then broke out into a lively set of moves. Jack was amazed - she was by far the best dancer he had ever seen. She winked at him when she was done. "Do you want to dance with me at the flower festival tomorrow?" She asked. Without waiting for an answer, she hurried home, leaving Jack stunned at the fact the festival was tomorrow.  
  
Meanwhile, Sara was sitting alone on her bed. Isaac, her baby, was fiddling with a loose bit of thread on her dirty clothes. The clouds were just going purple when a large cry arose from somewhere on the farm. Quickly dropping Isaac in his crib, Sara dodged out of the untidy house and out to her dilapidated crop fields. What she saw there made her gasp. A man was lying there, and he looked extremely ill. Pulling up a small ear of corn from the ground, Sara knelt beside him. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, shoving the corn into his mouth. After a bit of chewing, he stood shakily up, but collapsed onto Sara's shoulder for support. Despite his weakness, Sara couldn't help realising what a nice...but no, she though, surely it can't be that I'm attracted to this complete stranger... "S-sorry...I...had a message...from a farmer...I travel a lot you see...he told me to say...don't pine for him...he said...his...his name was...name..." Sara coaxed the man indoors and managed to find some tea under all the mess. "Here, drink this. Then have a rice cake. I'm sorry about the mess, but I haven't been able to cope." The man gratefully sipped some of the liquid in the cup, and colour returned to his cheeks almost instantly. "Thankyou! Wait - I've got a letter here..." he handed her a grubby note, and Sara smiled wistfully when she recognised the handwriting as Jack's. 'Dear Sara, I'm settling in well here. There are so many new people to meet! I've met a girl called Karen, she's really nice, and a few other girls, and there are loads of shops here as well! There's a ranch, a flower shop, a church, a bakery, and festivals as well! Wish you were here, Jack XXX' Sara, instead of lookinh happy that Jack had contacted her, frowned. Why had he only mentioned that woman...Karen? He had said she was really nice, but not mentioned anyone else...pushing the troubled thoughts aside, Sara suddenly had an idea. "Please tell me, what is your name?" "Cliff." "Cliff, could you show me to the village you came from?" "Sure thing." The two left, and Sara noticed an eagle flying along beside them. "Is that your bird?" "Yeah. He's called Cain." They walked in silence for a while, until they were halfway across the sea to Flower Bud Village on the ferry. "Why is your farm so run-down?" Questioned Cliff. Sara blushed. "Well...my partner, Jack, he's the one who sent me the note. He left because of...problems." She was too embarassed to tell this total stranger about Jack's love affair...but that brought her back to her niggling thoughgts. Was Jack now cheating on her with Karen? The more she thought this, the more she hated the new name. Karen. It sounded horrible. When they landed, Sara caught her breath at the pure difference of the surroundings. "This is the beach. We come here for the swimming festival and for the Firefly Festival. Follow me; I'll take you on a tour." Cliff showed her around everywhere; the ranch, the church, the mayor's house...and after all the shops, Jack's farm. When Sara rushed happily through the gate, she choked back her shouts of welcome. Jack was kissing Karen. Soon the horrible (but Sara had to admit, dazzling) woman left, and Sara was left to stare angrily at Jack. "Please, honey, it isn't like that...she's a bit over the top at times...don't glare at me!" Sara stormed out, leaving Jack to gape after her  
  
..... 


	3. Chapter 3: a harvest moon story - the un...

A Harvest Moon Story: The Unlikely Romance Chapter 3  
  
As soon as she reached the beach, Sara groaned. The ferry had just sailed out of the harbor. Suddenly a nasty thought and a horrified look came to Sara. Isaac! She had left him in his crib back at the farm! A tear began to dribble down her cheek, followed by another and another until they were cascading down her face in a waterfall. Suddenly somebody called out to her. "Hello? Hello, who is it? What's wrong?" It was a female voice. Sara didn't want to turn round in case it was Karen, but she forced herself to look. A girl with ginger hair in a plait was walking towards her, looking concerned. "Hi, I'm Ann. Who're you?" "S-s-Sara!" she choked. "Oh! Jack's girlfriend? He still loves you, you know. Karen said he likes her, but he told me that she is just possessive and annoying." "It's...it's n-not just that..." Sara sobbed, though slightly relieved inside. "Well, what then?" "My baby! I left him back at our old farm!" "Oh, don't be stupid. One of the villagers will look after him for you, and when the ferry next comes they'll bring him over." "Y-you think?" "Of course!" Sara wiped her eyes. "When does the next boat come in?" Ann mumbled something. "Pardon?" "Well...it's the 30th of summer today, right?" "Right..." "The...the boat will come on the 30th of fall." "THIRTIETH OF FALL?????" Sara shouted, and some owls took flight from some nearby trees. "Ssshh.you can stay with me if you want." Ann said, patting her arm.  
  
"But...why can't I stay with Jack?" questioned Sara. "Ok, we'll see about that tomorrow, but he'll probably be asleep by now. He needs rest." Sara followed Ann up to the ranch Cliff had shown her earlier.  
  
"Twwet tweet. Tweet tweet." Jack yawned. "Tweet tweet tweet twoooooh! Tweet tweet tweet twooooooh!" Jack pulled himself out of bed and into clothes. The bird song continued. But...it was fall...weren't those summer birds? He walked outside and saw Ann sitting on a rock, hands to her lips to make bird sounds...with Sara next to her. They were giggling, oblivious to Jack staring at them, until Sara turned round. "Hi Jack! Bet you didn't expect to see me here!" Laughed Sara, grinning at his gob smacked face. "You know, Sara does deserve a little respect," said Ann severely, catching her breath. "I...I...I..." Jack stuttered. Sara just laughed again. "Jack, we really should break it off." The farmer couldn't understand what she meant. Was she serious? "I mean, we've started new lives...Ann says I can help out on Green Ranch." She explained. Jack gulped. "But...Sara..." "Please, Jack. It's the best for both of us." Crestfallen Jack Ran Angrily To the animal Stable so not to show Sara his real feelings. Opening the old rusty door of the stable he walked sadly into the dark stable and clicked on the lamp (it gets a little dark in there, even during day). Sara was his true love, his one and only...Sure Karen Was Really Hot but really she's just too annoying. Touching his furrowed brow, jack started milking his prize cow named "Bessie" "Bessie, what should I do?" he inquired of the cow that was mooing softly. He knew that she could not answer but he just had to let all the steam out. Picking up the bucket full of the warm fresh milk he ran to the stall across with his sheep, "wool". "Looks Like Your Wools Getting Pretty Thick, Time To Cut!" The sheep baaed in acknowledgement as jack got out sharp sheers. "What to do next, lets seeee.........yes I must win her dear heart back, but how is the question!" As he was muttering to himself he gathered the wool and stormed out of the stable.........meanwhile Sara was....  
  
Sara And Ann had become the best of friends, Ann was the sister that she never had and Sara was the so dear sister that she never had. Ann Had proposed ever so kindly to stay with her and help out at her ranch, the green ranch. To Start Of a new life and wash away the memories of the old like the ebbing tides of the ocean Ann told her the other day. Gazing into the faltering sunrays of early fall she got of the rock she was sitting and patted a black horse with red hair who nuzzled affectionately. This is the life, much better than at the old farm were jack never made enough money to buy any livestock really. But something kept nagging at the back of her mind. "But but deep down I still have a part in my heart that is still with jack that I can't let go, but I must I must!" The Last four words ringed around the grass fields on the green ranch loudly. "Who are you talking to", a voice rang happily from somewhere. Ann walked right behind her and put her left hand on Sara's shoulder. Surprised, Sara jumped a couple inches and yelped in shock. "Oh hehehelllo Ann" 


End file.
